As the parent or guardian of a preschooler, it can be difficult to sit back and watch your child struggle when they don’t know the answer to something. Typically, a child will come to an adult and ask for help or simply request that the adult do it for them. Although the first reaction may be to help the child and complete the task, there is so much they can learn from figuring it out themselves.
The next time your child approaches you and asks for your help, make the time to help but in a limited form. Instead of solving the problem for your child, ask your child questions about possible solutions. For example, my four-year-old would love to be able to draw pictures like his older brother. However, instead of trying them on his own, he usually brings me a piece of paper and asks me to draw it for him. Instead of honoring his request as stated, I make him think about how to draw a house, for example. We may discuss the shapes on a house, such as a square, triangle and rectangle. By asking him a lot of questions and getting him to think of how to draw a house, he will be able to do it on his own the next time.
This simple task of deflecting the question back to your child can be difficult at first. Your child may rebel, and you may feel bad about watching him struggle to find a solution. Keep asking questions, and help as little as possible. His wheels will start turning, and you may be surprised at what your child can do when get him to think.
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Written by Laura on September 28, 2011
As you sit down with your child to read her a story, there are several things you can do to help your child get the most out of her storytelling experience. Children at this young age are typically willing to sit and listen to a story from start to finish. However, you want to actively engage them in the story in order to get them thinking about what they are hearing. Here are some simple sugge
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Written by BRWI Staff on November 10, 2010
Last week we had good friends of ours staying as guests for the week. One of the many positive aspects of our relationship is that they have two little girls the same exact ages (within weeks of each other) as our two little boys. Corresponding friendships formed the first time they all met each other, and, although we, as the parents, think it is a bit early, our four-year-olds are already plan
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Written by Laura on July 9, 2010
Although most questions surrounding a child’s entrance into kindergarten are those pertaining to academics, there are also many questions that arise on a more technical note. Enrollment age, kindergarten continuance, and extended day kindergarten are all issues which tend to have many questions surrounding them.
The California Department of Education has put together a portion of their web
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Written by BRWI Staff on May 7, 2010
Imagine listening to a speech where every sentence had one word in it that was spoken in a language you did not know. Although you may be able to use context clues to figure out the meaning behind some of the words, overall the speech would be difficult to comprehend. This is precisely what happens when young children are read a story about which they have little background knowledge.
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Written by BRWI Staff on April 21, 2010
Most people like to stick with what they know. They would much prefer to stay within their comfort zone. It may not be as obvious to detect, but this description of people also applies to their dialogue, and children also tend to follow this pattern.
If you were to follow a person around ...
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Written by BRWI Staff on April 5, 2010
One question I have noticed myself and other parents, grandparents, friends, and family asking young children is, “What was your favorite part?” My family recently took a trip to Florida and those not on our journey seem to ask my children the same thing. Everyone wants to know what their favorite part was. (I have to say, I was a bit disappointed when my four-year-old repeatedly re
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Written by Laura on March 31, 2010
